AZPCA AUTOCROSS Season Events #7/8

Am Ersten Mai - May Day

STORY BY Kenneth Mitchell PHOTOS BY Jennifer Reinhardt

AZPCA REGION 2022-2023 AUTOCROSS SEASON

EVENT #7

The AZPCA Region 2022-2023 Autocross Season Event #7 was held on Saturday, March 18, 2023, at the Arizona Motorsports Park (AMP), in Litchfield Park. Unlike the previous event there was no “Fork-in-the-Road” element. The course design for this event was another fantastic course design that wasn’t your basic course of a few slalom and gate elements.

This event had two circular type elements that resembled “Traffic Roundabouts” or “Traffic Circles. One Roundabout was a miniroundabout (Great Britain) style, and the other roundabout was a Turbo roundabout (American) Style, although, both roundabouts were without any diagonal arterials. Leading up to the roundabouts were the usual slaloms and gates elements. The drivers drove three individually timed laps consecutively in each session.

The weather was very pleasant for the event and forty-two drivers had a great day autocrossing and socializing with other AZPCA Region members. Robert T. provided donuts and coffee for the members to start off the day with some nourishments. The drivers were also treated to a BBQ lunch but, this time BBQ Chicken Sandwiches were served for a change instead of the “pulled pork” sandwiches.

There were two AZPCA Region members that attended their first autocross event. It appeared they were having a great time with their Porsche cars. Alex D. has been a member since 2021 and was driving his 2008 Porsche Carrera. Alex’s best laptime was 62.345 seconds which he drove on his second lap in the afternoon session. Alex was having a lot of fun and he was overheard saying, “I think I can improve some more”.

Damon H. was the other first-time autocross driver, and he recently joined the Club last December. Damon was driving his 2017 Porsche Carrera and his best laptime was 61.034 seconds which he achieved on his 3rd and last lap in the morning session. Damon was not holding back for his first event. Damon introduced himself to one of the “little round orange objects” on his second lap in the afternoon session and subsequently he was added to a very long and distinguished list of “Guy Cone Killers”.

There were rumors about a secret bet going on between a couple of the drivers and this event was a rematch from a previous event. This writer is not sure if this was factual or just pure race bunk. It is believed that the standing results of the rematch were not any different than the previous event and with the same time differential between the two drivers.

There were sixteen Porsche Drivers in Group “P” that consisted of 911 Types and Caymans with eight each. The top three Type 911 drivers were Jonathan B., Ealing J., and Cameron S. Cameron S. was driving his grandfather’s (AZPCA Region member Joel S; and is the son of AZPCA Region member, Dave S) 2020 Porsche Carrera. Cameron has been turning up the wick lately and is getting faster and faster at every event.

Leading the way was Jonathan driving his 2017 Porsche Carrera “S” and his best laptime was 50.979 seconds which he drove on his second lap in the morning session and his time earned him with being the “Top Time of Day” driver for the event. Following Jonathan was Ealing, driving his 2012 Porsche “S” and his best laptime was 52.060 that he drove on his second lap in the afternoon session.

Right behind Ealing was Cameron. Cameron drove a 52.429 second lap on his last lap in the afternoon session. We expect Cameron to be on top very soon.

Both Jonathan and Ealing elected to drive their Porsche cars for this event, and it is unknown if they will continue to drive in Group “P” for future events or return to Group “X”.

For the Cayman contingent, Martin R. led the way again in his family 2007 Porsche Cayman “S” with a 52.208 second run he achieved on his first lap in the afternoon session. Martin’s best time was also the third best time of all the Group “P” cars with 14 hundredths of a second behind Ealing.

The second-best Cayman competitor was Kenny M., driving his 2015 Porsche Cayman GTS, with a 53.221 second run he achieved on his second lap in the morning session. Right behind Kenny’s time was Eric T., in his 2014 Cayman S, with his best laptime of 54.425 seconds from his third lap run in the morning session.

Please note there were only two different types of Porsche models mentioned in the Group “P” count. Yes, Rick A., the AZPCA Autocross Co-Chair was at the event administering his usual event duties and his 968 was also on-site for the event. However, Rick had an opportunity to co-drive with Dave M., in Dave’s 2014 Porsche Cayman “S”.

Rick’s best laptime was 57.172 seconds which he drove on his second lap in the afternoon session. Rick’s times were getting better as he was getting familiar with the difference of driving a Cayman as opposed to his 968.

The top driver for Group “X” was Cameron’s dad, Dave S. Dave led the way with his best run of 53.537 seconds which he drove on his third lap run in the morning session. AZPCA region member, Robert T., drove his other German made car to his best laptime of 56.973 seconds which he drove on his last lap in the afternoon session.

There were eleven drivers that were murderous on the little “orange” plastic pointy traffic delineators for this event. Twenty-two cones met their demise by the eleven drivers. Although, this was a high count but, not the ultimate highest. So far, the January event with twenty-nine “Kills”, has the highest count of cone kills for a single event.

For this event, the “Top Guy Cone Killer” goes to Dave Y., driving his 2022 Porsche Cayman GTS. Dave mashed two cones on each of his three-afternoon lap runs and he picked up a cone on his last lap from the morning session for a total of seven kills. This achievement earned Dave the most cone kill honors for a driver in a single event.

Dave accumulated his “kills” on four separate runs. However, Garry J. still holds the top honor, with five kills, for the most “kills” on a single lap run.

There were two runner ups for the “Top Guy Cone Killer”. Kenny M. picked up a cone on three separate laps for a total of three along with Ealing J. Ealing J. earned a cone kill on each of his morning session runs for a total of three.

In previous Going Places Autocross Event articles, it was mentioned that there will be recognition for the drivers who were not successful in keeping the pointy end pointed in the appropriate direction relative to the course direction of travel. Also, it was mentioned that the title of this recognition would be given later in the season and just before the summer break.

That time has come and with only one event left to report for the said season and there are three candidates that have achieved this prestigious and honorable recognition. This recognition is titled the “Snidely Whiplash Back Assward” Award. To receive this recognition, you would have to perform a graceful and stylish spinout while driving on course. A spin is also known as “a Snidely”.

It is unknown if the three Snidely candidates, with one Snidely each, remember who they are. We will reveal these candidates either in the next Going Places issue or the following issue when we wrap up the 2022-2023 Season.

This event almost had a new Snidely candidate added to the list but, the driver failed in spinning completely out. However, when this driver entered the slalom just before the start/finish, she wig-wagged the rearend around a couple of slalom elements, like the 911 drivers use to do in their vintage 911s of yesteryear, but, by the time she arrived at the third slalom element she was able to collect it up and finished without earning a Snidely, although, it was close and very stylish. That would be called a “Partial Snidely” because she had the front of the car pointed almost in a 90-degree angle relative to the centerline of travel for the course.